Trofemuk out improving communication links to nuclear missiles

Baldwin native and U.S. Navy Lt. John Trofemuk is a “Take Charge and Move Out” kind of guy.

At the Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma,  Trofemuk is serving in the U.S. Navy as part of the nation’s nuclear deterrence mission at Strategic Communications Wing One, labeled StratCommWing One. As part of the Take Charge and Move Out mission, he is providing airborne communication links to nuclear missile units of  the U.S. Strategic Command.

A 2008 Baldwin High School graduate and 2012 Molloy University graduate, Trofemuk started his journey in the Navy six years ago.

“I was volunteering as an EMT and firefighter and wasn’t sure what I wanted to do next,” Trofemuk said via a U.S. Navy press release. “I knew I wanted to get a sense of community and purpose from my work.” While a firefighter, his life would be changed when he struck up conversation with retired Navy captain.

“He told me he thought I’d be good in the Navy, so I listened and went to a recruiter,” he recalled. “I didn’t know what I wanted to do, but I took the entry exam and qualified to be a pilot. The rest is history, and I love it. Since joining, I’ve felt nothing but purpose and that what I am doing matters.”

Trofemuk uses skills and values similar to those found in Baldwin to succeed in the Navy. “My hometown taught me to never give up,” said Trofemuk. “We didn’t have all the money in the world, but I was taught to make what I wanted happen. That led me to my career in the Navy.”

The Navy’s presence aboard an Air Force base in the middle of America may seem like an odd location given its distance from any ocean; however, the central location allows for the deployment of aircraft to both coasts and the Gulf of Mexico on a moment’s notice. This quick response is key to the success of the nuclear deterrence mission.

The Navy command consists of a Wing staff, the Center for Naval Aviation Technical Training, and three Fleet Air Reconnaissance Squadrons: The “Ironmen” of VQ 3, the “Shadows” of VQ 4 and the “Roughnecks” of VQ 7, the last which Trofemuk serves. “My favorite thing about my job is getting to fly,” said Trofemuk. “That’s not something most people can say they do at work.”

StratCommWing Oneemploys more than 1,300 active-duty sailors and 100 contractors to provide maintenance, security, operations, administration, training and logistic support for the Boeing E-6 Mercury aircraft fleet, an airborne command post and communications relay based on the Boeing 707.

The mission stems from the original 1961 Cold War order known as ‘Take Charge and Move Out!’” Adapted as TACAMO and now the command’s nickname, the men and women of TACAMO continue to provide a survivable communication link between national decision makers and the nation’s nuclear weapons.

The commander-in-chief issues orders to members of the military who operate nuclear weapons aboard submarines, aircraft or inland-based missile silos. Sailors aboard TACAMO E-6 Mercury aircraft provide the one-of-a-kind and most-survivable communication needed for this critical mission.

With more than 90 percent of all trade traveling by sea, and 95 percent of the world’s international phone and internet traffic carried through fiber optic cables lying on the ocean floor, Navy officials continue to emphasize that the prosperity and security of the United States is directly linked to a strong and ready Navy.

Trofemuk is part of a team taking on new importance in America’s focus on rebuilding military readiness, strengthening alliances and reforming business practices in support of the National Defense Strategy.

“The Navy is a worldwide presence,” said Trofemuk. “We can be anywhere at a moment’s notice. Not only are we a show of force, but we help with humanitarian efforts. A huge example of that is the Navy helping during the pandemic by turning our ships into hospitals. It’s nice to say we are part of an organization that does so much good.”

Trofemuk and the sailors he serves with have many opportunities to achieve accomplishments during their military service. “My proudest accomplishment in the Navy is qualifying as a flight instructor,” said Trofemuk. “It all goes back to me wanting to help people. That’s what I get to do every single day.

“To me, serving in the Navy means getting to help others succeed. I get to make a living for myself while contributing to something larger than myself. The stuff we do impacts worldwide politics. It’s an honor to be a part of that.”